KI: An Alternate Existence
by brawlingwolf
Summary: Iliad is a rather average town- that is, until Chief Kova finds himself juggling chasing down an unknown mob boss, trying to figure out his sort-of-relationship with a local waitress, and finding the father of a girl named Aegle. A OuaT-inspired spinoff of the OWLD series taking place after AtBoT. Rated for brief language, some violence, and some sexual themes. No new characters.
1. Chapter I: Business

**Author's Note: **Well, usually I can pull off a decent summary in 400 characters or however many we're allowed to use anymore, but not quite with this one. There are two more things I want to note: One, that while I haven't listed this as a crossover seeing as it's almost entirely KI-based, Lucina and Henry will be making an appearance- for new readers, they appear in _Fire Emblem: Awakening_ and both have major roles in _Across the Bounds of Time_ and _End of an Era_.  
Two, just because the names are different doesn't mean the characters are. There are **no new characters** in this installment. All characters have appeared somewhere between _On the Wings of Light and Dark _and AtBoT.

I think that about covers it. Have any guesses about who's whom? Thoughts on the story? Feel free to drop me a review any time. Until then, enjoy!

* * *

The earsplitting shrill of an alarm sounded off, jolting the young man out of his dreams and sending him to his feet before his mind even had a chance to register what had happened. He looked at the glowing numbers of his clock and groaned. It hadn't been the source of the shrill. He brushed his brown bangs out of his face and quieted the alarm, then picked up the radio next to it.  
"Talk to me, Daire," he said groggily as he started to pull his shirt on and button it.  
"Trespassing and suspicious behavior," the scratchy voice replied. "I think it's our friends doing business, and you told me to alert you the moment I had anything."  
"Right, right," he sighed, still half asleep. "I'm on my way. I'll meet you there. Got a location for me?" He scribbled down an address as Daire relayed it to him. "Right. Be careful."  
"You too, Chief!" Daire replied as he pinned his badge to his shirt. He hitched the radio to his back pocket and gathered up his resources before bolting outside, the cold air shocking him into an alert state of mind.  
The streets were all but deserted save a few third shift workers as he made his way, both driving and on foot, to a rather smelly alley in the town's business district. He glanced around and found Daire waiting for him, his own blue eyes alert as his black hair rustled in the wind. He waved his chief over and didn't bother with a greeting.  
"Reports said two shady figures came down this way about half an hour ago," he explained. "There's no one down here, but there's a door at the end that was forced open. If I'm right, it leads to the basement of an old restaurant." The chief nodded and motioned for his partner to follow him down the alley, wrinkling his nose at the smell of garbage, and found the door at the end that, indeed, sported a broken lock and a few splinters on the side. He ordered for silence and pulled out his gun as he crept inside with Daire following close behind.  
"You really have _nothing _for us?!" a female voice demanded. "Idiot!" The sound of a slap and a grunt of pain followed. "Tell me, for what reason should we be using you?!"  
"P-Pardon, ma'am," another female voice replied as the officers drew closer. "I tried! I really did. But I couldn't find anything. Kova's record is clean."  
The chief resisted a snort at the sound of his name.  
"There's no way some goody two-shoes like him doesn't have _anything_ worth noting in his history," the first voice snapped. "No skeletons in his closet? No drug problem? No broken relationships? No fears?"

"If he's got any, he hides them extremely well and I can't find any documentation," the second voice said. "I-"

"Moron!" the first voice interrupted. "I don't need documentation. I need information! Kova's got to have something- I don't care what it is. Just get me results, or the boss'll do away with you!"  
"Y-Yes, ma'am!" The second voice shrieked, and Kova turned to his partner and motioned for a confrontation. But, before they could get any closer...  
"Hey, Big Blue," a male voice sighed. "We're not alone. We'd better scram."

"Don't call me that," the first voice growled. "And there's no one here but us and this useless little nothing."

"Think again!" Kova snapped as he and Daire stepped out of their shadows with firearms ready. A woman with long blue hair pulled into a ponytail yelped and turned to face them with hatred burning in her eyes, and the other woman- one with warm brown hair and a face pale as a ghost, crouched at her feet. The man was nowhere to be seen.  
"Kova," the one identified as "Big Blue" spat. "Oh, look. You even brought along your pet." Daire scowled, but said nothing. "You've got no business here. Get out before I get mad!"  
"I've got all business here," he replied. "First of all, I've got you for breaking and entering, plus," he looked at the other woman and noticed the bruises on her face, "Looks like I can charge you for assault. Now, are you gonna come quietly or is this gonna get messy?"  
"It'll get messy," the male voice said as its owner, his face masked by the shadows of an oversized hood, rushed out from the darkness and, before either Kova or Daire had a chance to react, pulled the woman to her feet and stabbed a knife into her neck as she screamed. The chief fired, but the man ducked and both he and Big Blue scrambled to escape. Kova bit his lip and started after them.  
"Get an ambulance over here NOW," he ordered to his partner, who nodded quickly and hurried over to attend to the victim. He sped after the pair of criminals, but ducked behind a barrel left behind by whomever had owned this place at the sound of gunfire.  
"We'll get you yet, Kova!" Big Blue called from a distance, and he swore under his breath as he started his pursuit once again. By the time he reached the alley, unfortunately, they were gone and he feared chasing them would mean putting more innocents at risk. He sighed and punched the wall nearest him, sending a shock through his hand, but he ignored it and shook his head as he returned to his partner and sirens sounded in the distance.  
"Please tell me you've got some good news for me," he said as he approached, and Daire shook his head.  
"She's dead," the deputy replied. "Sorry, Chief. But you'll hunt them down. You always do." He frowned and sighed heavily.  
"I will. But it always hurts to see people get hurt, or even worse. But we were here, Daire. We should have been able to save her."  
"I know, but we're not perfect. We'll just have to work hard to make sure no one else gets hurt." He paused before pulling out his radio and sending an order out for help as a team of paramedics arrived. He sighed as he headed over to speak with one of them who had produced a notebook as her team started their work.  
"Bad day, huh, Chief?" she said as she started scribbling down her notes.

"Something like that, Maya," he replied dully. "She was stabbed in the neck about... eight minutes ago, I'd say. The bruises, as far as I can tell, were from a couple of slaps or punches."  
"I see," she nodded as she wrote down his information. "Thanks, Chief. I'm sure Marc and I can handle it from here. I'll report back to you if I find anything else worth noting." He nodded and turned around.  
"Daire!" he called, and his deputy hurried over. "Let's go. I'm gonna need your report as soon as possible and I've got some hunting to do." With that, the officers headed out as another unit arrived, and the chief hung his head in shame once he was clear of the area.


	2. Chapter II: Promises

"_...An unfortunate turn of events in the business district late last night..."_ a reporter on television was saying. Kova ignored most of it as he sat at the counter of a local diner, exhausted from his late night as he tried to gather his energy for his shift that day. _"The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and officials have not yet released the identity. It is believed this is part of the organized crime plaguing our neighborhoods..." _  
"Any word, Chief?" someone asked, and he turned to find a young woman with blond-orange hair staring at him. He shook his head.

"I can't disclose any information except through a press conference once the investigation is complete," he replied. She frowned, but shrugged and walked off once she realized she wouldn't be getting anything out of him. He let out a breath of defeat and turned back to the counter.  
"Sorry, I guess she slipped by me," another voice said softly, and he looked up to find a young waitress smiling at him, her blue eyes sparkling- or, at least, the one that wasn't hidden by her dark blue hair.  
"Hi, Marina," he said with a smile himself.  
"Hey, you may call me Mare," she said with a laugh, lifting his spirits.

"Okay, Mare. Anyway, what are you talking about?" he asked.

"It's a small town," she explained. "Everybody knows the chief even when he's out of uniform- it doesn't help that you're IN uniform, anyway. But I know you don't like people bugging you about whatever case you're working on." She set down a steaming mug in front of him, and he smiled.  
"You know I like apple cider," he noticed, and her smile widened as he took the mug in his hands.  
"I figured you'd like a nice little treat," she agreed. "And it's on the house. Think of it as a thanks for fighting back for us." His smile grew.

"Thanks, Mare," he dipped his head. "I owe you one."  
"Well..." she leaned forward a little and braced her elbows on the counter. "I've got a birthday coming up. You could be nice enough to treat me to lunch or dinner or something." He about choked on his cider and somewhat smoothly covered it with a snort. Her face was enough to tell him she was trying not to be offended.  
"Really? Me?" he asked. "What about your family?"  
"I don't really have any around here," she replied. "Dad left a while back and Mom... I don't know what happened to her. And my brother is off exploring or something. I haven't seen him in years."  
"Ah," he nodded. "Sorry, I didn't mean to touch a nerve. Well, what about friends?"  
"People around here don't seem to like me much," she said dully as she turned around to lean against the counter. "I don't know what's wrong with me. It's like they all think I don't belong here. I mean, that girl who owns the florist? She hates me even though I've barely spoken a word to her."  
"Can't see why anyone would hate you," Kova replied. "I mean, you're kind, you're funny when you want to be, and frankly, I think you're beautiful." His face warmed as soon as the words left his mouth, and he decided to blame it on his hot drink. She turned around to gaze at him with wide eyes.  
"You really think so?" she asked softly, and he smiled and nodded.  
"I do. Maybe they're just jealous." He glanced at his watch and stood up. "Sorry, I have to get to the station. Could I get the rest of this to go?" She smiled and took his mug, and returned a few moments later with a cup complete with a lid. He grinned knowingly and opened it to find it completely full. "Well, thank you, Mare. And," he bowed, causing her to snicker. "It'd be my honor and pleasure to take you out for dinner to celebrate your birthday."  
"I look forward to it," she said warmly. "See you then, Kova. And good luck protecting the peace!" He waved and headed out.  
A short time later, he pulled into the station and hurried inside only to run into Daire, causing papers to scatter just about everywhere they could possibly reach along with his cup of what was left of his cider spilling on the floor.  
"Nice to see you too, Chief," Daire grunted and got back to his feet as Kova did the same. Despite the collision, the deputy had a grin on his face as usual, and the chief couldn't help but smile as well as he knelt down to scoop up the papers before the spill could ruin them.  
"You seem like you were in a hurry," he remarked as he handed the papers back to their original owner. "What's up?"  
"I think I found 'em," Daire replied nearly giddily. "I swept a few security cameras around the business district. Big Blue and our other friend ran into an abandoned candle shop and haven't come out."  
"Candle shop," Kova repeated. "Why a candle shop?"  
"Exactly," Daire said as the chief retrieved a roll of paper towels from a utility closet to wipe up the spill. "_Why_ a candle shop? They're throwing us off the scent. And that's one of the few places we haven't swept. We're a small town, Chief. Not many abandoned places around here and even fewer that don't see much activity. I don't know what they're doing, but we can probably catch them there."  
"I hope so," Kova sighed. "And the victim? Anything on her yet?"  
"A librarian named Orita. She did some freelance writing for the _Daily Divinity._ I don't know how she got tangled with the mob, but she must have had access to thousands of records."  
"And they wanted her to come up with something on me," Kova nodded. "I almost feel bad about not having anything."  
"Really?" Daire teased. "Nothing? Not even a detention back in high school?" The chief laughed briefly before it faded and he frowned.  
"...I don't really remember high school," he admitted. "Heck, I barely remember anything from more than a few years ago. Is that weird?" Daire pondered it for a moment before shrugging.  
"Chief!" He turned around at the call to find a certain detective walking toward him carrying a clipboard, his sleeves rolled up loosely. His silver hair rustled along with the strange flip near its part, and his red-violet eyes carried a sense of urgency.  
"What's up, Marc?" Kova wondered. "Is everything okay?"  
"I don't really know," Marc replied as he stopped a few paces away. "I'm just glad you're here. Are you doing anything right this moment? I kind of need you for something." Kova frowned and turned to his deputy.  
"You need me for anything?" he asked, and Daire shook his head.  
"Not immediately," he said. "Don't worry, I'll handle this." He held up his papers. "I'll report later."  
"Thank you," Kova nodded. "Okay, Marc, what's up?" Marc gestured for the chief to follow, and he did so down the main hall of the station until he came to Marc's office.  
"Just head inside," the silver-haired young man instructed. "We've got a visitor. She'll explain everything. I tried talking to her, but she insisted she has to talk to you."  
"Alright," Kova dipped his head and slipped inside, shutting the door behind him and sitting down in Marc's chair opposite the visitor.  
"Chief Kova?" she asked, and he nodded as he tried not to stare at her. She was perhaps sixteen years old with slightly messy brown hair cut around her shoulders, not a color unlike his own. Her blue eyes watched him thoughtfully, reflecting the light brilliantly, and her skin was incredibly fair. He blinked and offered his hand, and she shook it briefly.  
"That's me," he replied. "What can I do for you, miss?"  
"Aegle," she corrected. "My name is Aegle, sir. And I need you to find someone for me." He frowned.  
"Okay." He dug around in a drawer to pull out a notepad and a pen. "Who is it?"  
"My father," she said. "He looks a lot younger than he really is, and he has brown hair like mine and bright blue eyes. He's well built and about..." she stood up and held her hand out. "This tall. His skin is fair, kind of tan."  
"All right," he nodded as he scribbled down the information. "Do you have a name for him?" He looked up to see her shake her head, and he frowned. "Okay... And you think he's somewhere in Illiad?"  
"I doubt he's far," she agreed. "He has to be somewhere around here."  
"Uh huh..." he resisted a sigh. "And when did you last see him?" She looked down in thought for a moment.  
"About a month ago."  
"And what were the circumstances under which you last saw him?" he asked. Again, she thought about it for a moment.  
"I'd been out with my uncle- his brother- studying a few fighting techniques. When I came back, Father told me he had a bad feeling about what was coming. He always had a sense for things like that. But he said I shouldn't worry and that he'd handle it, and he told me he loved me before I left to rest. I haven't seen him since then."  
"Does your father have any medical history? Mental illness? Anything?" he asked, and she shook her head. "Was there any sign of a struggle in your home?"  
"No."  
"So you think he just... left? Disappeared?"

"Disappeared sounds like a good way to describe it," she said.

"Okay, what about your uncle? Where is he?" She didn't answer. "Aegle? I want to help, but I need you to cooperate with me."  
"My uncle is gone too," she admitted. "He and my father are really close, so they're probably together."  
"And what does your uncle look like?"  
"He looks pretty much exactly like my father," she said. "They're twins, except my uncle has black hair and red eyes."  
"Okay..." Kova sighed and braced his elbow against the desk, brushing his hand through his hair. "Do you have a mother? Is she around?"

"No," Aegle said rather shortly.  
"No, as in you don't have a mother? Or no, as in she's not around?"  
"She's not around," she elaborated. "Sir, please. Find my father and the mess they're in can be fixed. I know it. If anyone can do it, it's him." He massaged his forehead as he looked over his notes, then back up to her pleading eyes.  
"I'll try my best, Aegle. Are you okay? Do you need a place to stay?" She shook her head. "Okay. Is there a way I can contact you?"  
"I can come back and check in," she suggested, and he frowned slightly.  
"If you think that'll be best, then okay," he agreed with a sigh to his voice. "Anything else I should know?" She shook her head. "All right." He picked up the notepad and stood up. "I'll do everything I can, Aegle. That's the best I can promise you."  
"Thank you, Chief," she smiled and offered her hand, and he shook it briefly. "I'm sure you'll find him."  
"Then is there anything else?" he asked, and she shook her head again. "All right. I'll walk you out." He followed her out of the office and down the hall, and she stopped and turned to him when they reached the main entrance.  
"Good luck, Chief Kova," she said with a smile, and he dipped his head. With that, she turned around and departed, and he sighed heavily as he looked down at his notes.  
"So, how'd that go?" He looked up to find Marc approaching him. "What did she want?"  
"She wants me to find her father," he said as he handed over the notes. "Can I put you in charge of this? I have to deal with tracking down the crooks from last night. And while I want to reunite a father with his daughter, I have to prioritize public safety."  
"Kova, it's fine!" Marc insisted with a smile. "I can handle this. And let me know if you need any help tracking down your targets."  
"I will," the chief said with a smile. "Good luck, my friend."  
"And to you, Chief." With that, they parted ways, and Kova made his way down to resume his work with Daire and their plan of attack.


	3. Chapter III: Raid

A chill blew through the air as Kova and Daire arrived at the abandoned candle shop late in the afternoon. While neither could quite figure out why their targets would use a place such as that as a base of operations, they decided not to question it for the time being and crept up to the entrance. With a nod to his deputy, Kova opened the front door and quickly shouted for the occupants to freeze. Unfortunately, it seemed the only things around to hear him were dust bunnies, and even they ignored him as the breeze from the door sent them scurrying. The chief frowned and kept his firearm at the ready, all of his senses on high alert as Daire covered his back. He motioned for silence and made his way to the back storage room, and the two made their way in slowly.  
"Looks like you took a step out of bounds," a voice mocked, and they both turned around to find a man sitting on top of one of the shelves. It took Kova a moment to realize it was the same man that had killed the woman from their encounter at the restaurant. His face was still hidden by his hood, but his smirk was visible as he dropped down and kicked the door shut even as two guns were pointed at his head. "Well, Chief? What can we do for you?"  
"'We?'" Kova echoed, and Daire spun around to find Big Blue approaching from behind another shelving unit.  
"Now, now, Ater! We talked about this," she scolded, and the man snorted.  
"Oh, is that the route we're taking, Anesi?" he sighed, and Daire elbowed his chief as the two argued.  
"I don't know why the boss insists on making me have you as my partner," Anesi grumbled. Ater frowned.  
"Yeah, let's mention _all _that in front of the damned officers here to arrest us," he replied.  
"Uh..." Kova blinked. "We're right here. We can hear every word you're saying."  
"Exactly!" Ater sighed and held his hand out in Kova's direction. "See? He's not an idiot."  
"Maybe not, but you certainly are," Anesi shot back. Ater crossed his arms.  
"This isn't the plan the boss had for us," he growled, and she laughed.  
"How the hell do you know? You're just another one of his pawns. You don't mean anything to him."  
"Uh, Chief?" Daire mumbled. "Got any ideas?"  
"Just one," Kova sighed and fired a bullet up in the air, causing small flecks from the ceiling to rain down a short distance away. Ater jumped and both he and Anesi fell dead silent. "Alright," the chief said in a firm voice. "If you two want to continue this argument, you can do it in a jail cell. Now are you going to come quietly, or do we have to do this the hard way?"

"That's a pretty stupid question," Ater said with a snort. "Right, Anesi?"  
"Right," the blue-haired woman replied, and not a moment later did Daire call out a warning to his chief within moments of the sound of gunfire. Kova immediately ducked and Daire retaliated, but it seemed he'd missed his mark and swore as Anesi raced out of the room via a hidden door behind another shelf.  
"Good-for-nothing, double-crossing BITCH!" Ater nearly screamed as he fell to the floor, clutching his lower leg as blood welled up between his fingers. Kova blinked and looked over his shoulder.  
"Go after her," he ordered to his deputy, who nodded and took off after the woman. He heard a quick shuffling sound and ducked just as a knife whizzed over his head, and he spun around to point his weapon at Ater. But, by that point, the downed criminal seemed too preoccupied with his injury to do much else, and Kova stepped closer.  
"I'll get you some help if you cooperate with me," he offered, and Ater looked up from the shadow of his hood.  
"I don't need your charity," he grumbled as he heaved himself back to his feet. As soon as he put weight on his injured leg, however, it buckled under him and he fell back to the floor.  
"Yes, you do," Kova remarked and approached him, and he pulled back the hood masking the man's face.  
He stifled a sharp gasp at what he found: burning red eyes that glared at him with absolute hatred, tousled black hair swept into messy locks around his eyes, and a face alarmingly similar- even identical- to the chief's. Kova swallowed and shook away his shock.  
"As chief of the Iliad police force, I hereby place you under arrest under the charges of trespassing, theft, assault, first degree murder, tampering with evidence... I think you get the picture," he said as he pulled a pair of handcuffs from his belt. Ater glared at him, but didn't bother fighting back for reasons he didn't disclose as Kova fastened them around his wrists. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you..." he listed off his speech and Ater sighed heavily once he had finished and radioed for a medical team.  
"So, now what?" the black-haired youth wondered as he sat back, one eye still squinted in pain. "I get to rot in a jail cell? You're gonna cage me up and throw away the key?"  
"That'll be decided after a trial," Kova replied. "But, until then, you'll be held down at the station." Ater said nothing else and didn't bother fighting back as the chief searched him for anything else that could remotely be used as a weapon. Some time later, he looked up at the sound of heavy breathing and found Daire returning from his chase, and he looked none too pleased at the results.  
"She got away," he huffed. "She turned a corner and disappeared. Figured I should report back to you first." He approached the chief and leaned back against the wall. "So, now what? What are we waiting for?"  
"Medics," Kova replied shortly. "His leg needs to be looked at before we can take him in." Daire frowned and turned to the red-eyed man still sitting on the floor, his wrists cuffed in front of him as he muttered darkly about the evening's events.  
"You don't seem all that concerned that you just got yourself arrested," the deputy remarked. Ater looked up at him with something between malice and boredom in his eyes.  
"Yes, because medical care and sitting around in a cell instead of having to run errands for my boss sounds like SUCH a bad experience right now." He smirked. "You two would just love for me to spill everything I know. You won't admit it, but you want me to fight back- at least that would be more interesting. But if I just sit here quietly, you don't know how to proceed." His gaze shifted from the deputy to the chief. "And you, Chief... You're too much of a by-the-book, walk-the-high-road goody-two-shoes to do anything even remotely questionable." Kova frowned as his icy blue eyes met Ater's burning red gaze.  
"I may be chief, but that doesn't mean I'm above the law. And neither are you. Right now, you're at its mercy. And don't think for a moment we won't catch your partner soon."  
"Hell, catch her! Fry her for all I care," Ater sighed. "She shot me. Shot. Me. With both of you between us. She used me as a scapegoat while she got away." He snorted again. "If you don't take care of her, I will."  
A few moments later, a team of medics came in and Maya approached the chief as she brushed her blue-gray bangs out of her eyes. She sighed and pulled her notebook out.  
"Well, Chief?" she said with a grin. "What now?"  
"This guy here took a bullet to his shin," Kova explained, and Maya nodded. "Once he's cleared from the hospital, he'll be taken down to the station until a trial can be arranged." He turned to the other two medics as Ater all but growled at them. "Don't worry," he assured them. "He's unarmed. And he should know better than to try everything?" The black-haired prisoner glared at him, but didn't bother fighting against the medics as they went about checking his wound.  
"Daire," Kova went on as he turned to speak with his deputy. "Do me a favor and head down to the hospital with him. As soon as he's got the green light, you bring him to me, understand?"  
"Got it," Daire replied with a dip of his head. "And what about you?"  
"I'm gonna start looking for Anesi. Talk to a few citizens around here and see if I can't pick up her trail. Call for me if you need anything."  
"Understood," the deputy said. "Don't worry, Chief. I won't let him out of my sight."  
"Good." Kova turned back to Ater as he settled himself in on the stretcher the medics had brought in. "You're in good hands. Regardless of what may be running through your head, I'll make sure you're treated fairly." Ater scowled at him and shook his head, but said nothing else, and the medics carried him off with Daire hurrying after him.  
Once they were gone, the chief sunk down onto the floor with his head in his hands as his mind swirled with questions. Ater looked way too much like him to just be a coincidence- his face was the same one Kova saw when he looked in a mirror.  
"Dad had black hair," he mumbled. But no one in his family had red eyes- at least, as far as he knew of. But even if it did turn out that he did somehow have a long lost sibling, Ater looked to be the same age as him.  
He sighed and got back to his feet, deciding he had more important things to focus on and that he'd have time to ponder the criminal and his origins later. With that, he took a deep breath and headed out through the door Daire and Anesi had disappeared through before, hoping something- anything- would lead him to answers.


	4. Chapter IV: Stress

"If I get any more paperwork, I'm gonna be buried in it," Kova grumbled, then took several gulps of tea as Daire grinned at him from the desk across from him. "What are you so smiley about?"  
"Are you sure you don't need something stronger? There's a pot of coffee in the lounge. Help yourself."  
"There's not enough sugar in the world to make me like the taste of coffee," Kova replied. "But thanks." He shoved a few papers to the side and sighed heavily. However, his eyes widened as he revealed a calendar on his desk and stared at the date. At once, his head fell to the desk with a clunk.  
"Uh, Chief?" Daire wondered. "Need a nap?"

"I'm supposed to meet Marina for dinner tonight!" he said shortly. "Crap. I've got too much to do to put it off until tomorrow." He sighed. "If the rest of our force weren't such incompetent dorks..." Daire snorted and raised his mug.  
"Hear, hear," he snickered. "I really wish I could say I'd take care of it, but we've just got too much here. If Marc wasn't busy sweeping the town records, maybe, but..."  
"No, I get it," Kova agreed. "Don't worry. I'm sure she'll understand." He picked up the phone and dialed a number, then put the receiver up to his ear as it buzzed. After three or so rings, he heard a click, followed by a voice.  
"Hello?"  
"Mare?" he asked. "It's Kova. Sorry, I'm calling from the station, so you probably didn't recognize the number."  
"Oh, Kova!" her voice brightened. "No, it's fine. How's it going? Buried in cases?"  
"More or less," he sighed and brushed his bangs back. "We finally managed to catch one of our most wanted about a week ago, if you have to know. And... I've got way too much on my plate right now. I'm so sorry, but I'm going to have to reschedule dinner." There was silence for a moment.  
"Oh, okay..." she finally said glumly. "I understand. Any idea of when?"  
"I wish I knew," he admitted, his heart twisting with guilt. "But I'll let you know as soon as I can."  
"Alright." He could hear in her voice she was trying hard not to sound disappointed. "Good luck, Chief. Sounds like you'll need it."  
"Yeah... And happy birthday, Marina. I promise I'll make this up to you."  
"Thank you, Kova." With that, he heard a click, and he let out a heavy breath as he returned the receiver to its rightful place. He looked up to find Daire watching him curiously.  
"What?"  
"You had a date?" Daire asked with a smile, and he shook his head gently.  
"I wouldn't call it a date. She just wanted me to take her out for her birthday."  
"Chief. That's a date," the deputy said with a laugh. "Man, you're something else when you're out catching the bad guys. But as soon as it comes to romance, you're clueless, aren't you?" Kova's face flushed and he balled up a stray piece of paper, chucking it at his partner.  
"Not like I've exactly had time for romance," he replied. "And what about you? I don't see you out with a girlfriend."  
"Touché," Daire grinned. "Well, whatever. It's not gonna matter either way if we can't wade through all these papers." Kova nodded and they both returned to their respective piles. "Have you found anything yet?"  
"No," the chief admitted. "You?"  
"Nope. It's like this boss of theirs doesn't even exist. We've talked to the other business owners around there, we've looked at title deeds, we've scanned records... Wherever he's hiding, it's probably the best spot he could have possibly found."  
"We'll find him," Kova replied. "Him and Anesi. Speaking of which..." He pushed his chair back and stood up. "I guess it's about time for me daily banter with our new friend." Daire smirked and waved as he headed out and down the hall to a large room containing a few cells.  
Sure enough, Ater sat lounging on the bench within his cell, staring absentmindedly at the wall as he flicked around a piece of lint. His leg was wrapped securely in a cast, effectively ensuring he wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. He looked up rather nonchalantly as the chief approached him.  
"Unless my sense of time is off, you're here early," he remarked as he adjusted and locked his hands behind his head. Kova shrugged and pulled up a chair, then took his seat a pace away from the cell bars.  
"Well, you wanna tell me anything?" he asked, and Ater rolled his eyes.  
"Nope. Though I am curious if you've found Big Blue yet."

"We'd have an easier time tracking her down if you helped us out a little," Kova pointed out, and Ater let out a quick laugh.  
"I guess so. But then she'd be my neighbor and I'd never hear the end of it. At least I've got some peace and quiet here." Kova lowered his head and frowned.  
"Do you really want to spend the rest of your life in a cage?" he asked. "Don't you have a family or something?"  
"Nope," Ater said rather matter-of-factly. "I'm all by my lonesome. Didn't know my parents and I have no interest in any relationships." He turned his gaze to Kova and smirked. "What about you, Chief? Got a family?"  
"I guess I did once," he replied. "But my parents both died. And no, I don't have a girlfriend or anything."  
"Any siblings?" Ater wondered, and Kova stared at him.  
"No," he said rather dully. "It's just me." He sighed lightly. "Guess we're not too different in that way, huh?"  
"Except we're on opposite sides of the business," Ater chuckled. "You know, Chief, you're not a bad guy. But then again, I guess I am. Doesn't mean I like you, but I tolerate you. And trust me, that's big."  
"I'll take what I can get," Kova said with a smile and stood up. "Well, if you feel like you want to tell me anything, just give a holler. If not, I'll see you later." With that, he turned and left, only to jump as he found Marc waiting for him just outside.  
"Got a moment?" the detective asked, and Kova nodded.  
"I do if it's about your investigation," he replied as he started following the silver-haired youth down the hall.  
"It is," Marc agreed. "I've swept the town, Chief. And I can only find one person who matches the description Aegle gave us."  
"And who's that?" Marc stopped and sighed as he turned to his companion.  
"You." Kova blinked.  
"Me." Marc nodded, and the chief sighed as he massaged his forehead. "A few problems with your theory, my friend. One, she came to me and asked me to find the guy. If I were her father, I think she would have known. Two, I'm not nearly old enough to have a teenage daughter. And three, there's no way I could have a child. I've never-" he stopped himself short and frowned, turning away before Marc could notice his flushing face.  
"You're a virgin, eh?" he said, and Kova nodded. "Well, that's great. But I can't find anyone or anything else, Chief. And I've got one more piece for you."  
"Okay...?" Kova said, and Marc tilted his head back toward the cells they had just come from.  
"Aegle said she had an uncle with black hair and red eyes. That's a pretty unusual combination, so I wonder if this Ater guy knows her at all." Kova blinked and turned back to stare at the door he had come out of.  
"Maybe. He just said he doesn't have any family, but he could very well have been lying..." He shook his head and turned back to the detective. "Just do me a favor and stay on it. Maybe show Aegle his photos and see if she recognizes him."  
"I will," Marc agreed with a dip of his head. "I'll let you know as soon as I have anything."  
"Good." With that, Kova started off, but it seemed Marc wasn't yet finished with the conversation.  
"Kova," he beckoned, and the chief turned back to him. "If Ater is Aegle's uncle... she said her uncle looks nearly exactly like her father. Except her father has brown hair and blue eyes instead of black and red." Despite feeling he already knew the answer, Kova couldn't help but ask the question.  
"What are you getting at?"  
"You can't tell me that you haven't noticed the resemblance between the two of you," Marc pointed out. "I know you don't really have any family, but it's eerie how you and Ater have the same face, same build, everything. He might as well be your evil twin." Kova shook his head.  
"I've noticed, Marc. I just don't know how it's possible, and right now, I don't really care."  
"Really..." The corner of Marc's lip twitched in a half smile. "Well, if you're ever curious, I have the information of a blood sample from when Ater was in the hospital. Maybe you could try for a DNA test, even if it's just to put your curiosity to rest." The chief didn't immediately reply.  
"Maybe," he finally agreed. "Look, I need to get back to Daire so I can help this investigation along. But I'll let you know."  
"Sounds good," Marc nodded. "Good luck, Chief. I'll try to help out where I can." Again, Kova started off, but Marc stopped him once more. "Uh, one more thing."

"Yes?" Kova inquired, turning to face him once again. "What is it?" Marc smiled, his red-violet eyes warm.  
"I'm getting married," he said, and it took a moment of processing for Kova's blank face to become a smile as well.  
"Really? You and Sade, huh?" He grinned and held out his hand, and Marc grasped it. "Congratulations, my friend! You two are perfect for each other."  
"I certainly think so," Marc agreed. "And I know you have a lot on your plate right now, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask: Would you be my best man?" Kova's grin grew warmly.  
"It'd be my honor, Marc. I'll try my best to make time in my schedule to help out. Just let me know if and when you need me for anything."  
"I will," Marc agreed with a dip of his head. "Anyway, I won't keep you any longer. Go make sure Daire isn't drowning in papers." Kova laughed and waved, then made his way back through the station until he came to the central room where they had set up the desks.  
"Ah, there he is!" Daire grinned, looking up from his stack of papers. Kova, on the other hand, found himself staring at a certain visitor who had been talking with the deputy. She smiled and approached him, toting a bag of some take-out food or other. She chuckled at the sight of his dumbfounded expression.  
"All I wanted was to eat a meal with you," Marina teased, and he smiled sheepishly. "I figured you'd be hungry, since you sounded like you've barely had a break today. So I brought lunch." He smiled and dipped his head.  
"Thank you, Mare." He looked up at his deputy. "Think I can take a half hour or so?" Daire grinned and waved him off.  
"Sure, sure. I can hold down the fort. I'll come find you if I need you for anything."  
"Thanks," Kova replied. "I owe you one, Daire." He turned to their visitor and held his arm out. "Well, shall we? We can eat in the lounge." She smiled and nodded, then followed him down the halls until they came to a room set aside for the officers' breaks, complete with a small kitchen, a pair of vending machines, and a couch facing a decent television. The chief gestured toward the table and he sat down once Marina had placed the bag on it.  
"I hope I'm not intruding," she said as she started unpacking, and he shook his head as she handed him a box.  
"No, this is perfect," he replied with a smile. "I'm really sorry about having to reschedule, though. I will make it up to you, though. I promise." He felt his face warm slightly, and he looked down at his food as he picked up a fork. "I was actually really looking forward to a nice meal with you."  
"So was I, but this is good too," she said as she retrieved her own meal. "I didn't need to go anywhere fancy, Kova. I just wanted to spend a little time with you." He felt something in his chest warm at the sound of her words.  
"I'll gladly make time for you," he told her, and she met his gaze with affection glimmering in her eyes. She circled around the table and smiled playfully as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him from behind.  
"Jeez, your shoulders are just big knots," she noticed, and he blushed. "I guess that's to be expected with all the stress you're under. You want me to try to work 'em out a little?" He started to protest, but looked down and smiled.  
"That'd be great," he said. "Thank you." He fumbled with the top button on his shirt to loosen his collar and groaned softly with something between pain and relief as she set to work massaging his tight muscles.  
"Yeesh, forget ropes. Your shoulders are rocks," she remarked. "What do you do to relax?"  
"Er..."  
"You don't do much, do you?" she asked.

"Not really. Ordinarily, I'm okay, but it's been tough around here lately. Agh!" he grunted as her thumbs pressed in against his shoulders.  
"Sorry, does that hurt?" she asked, relaxing her grip.  
"No, it's okay... Needs to be worked out anyway." He shut his eyes and lowered his head as her thumbs traced along the back of his neck to his spine and down a bit, but she stopped. "Is something wrong?"  
"N-No," she said absentmindedly.  
"Mare?" He craned his neck to look at her face, and she seemed distracted. "What's up?"  
"Sorry, I shouldn't be asking, but... Are these burn marks?" Her finger traced gently along whatever it was she was looking at on his upper back, pushing his collar down a bit. He frowned and didn't immediately reply.  
"Yeah," he finally agreed. "I vaguely remember that when I was a teenager, I was caught in a fire. I guess the scars never really healed."  
"Oh, Kova..." she said softly as she made her way back around and sat down across from him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."  
"No, it's alright," he said with a smile as he rotated his shoulder. "Thanks for the massage."  
"My pleasure," she replied with a small smile of her own, though it vanished a moment later.  
"Mare?" he tilted his head slightly. "Are you okay?" She looked back up and met his gaze, her own eyes deep in thought.  
"Well, as long as we're being honest..." She brushed her bangs away from her left eye, revealing an odd mark within its iris. "I've had this since I was a baby. I have no idea why, and I know it looks weird... But I can't figure out where it comes from." He frowned and took her hand gently in his own.  
"It just makes you unique," he said with a smile. "Yes, it's different, but I don't think it looks bad or anything."  
"I just wish I knew why it's there," she sighed, lowering her head. "I've done research, asked a doctor, but they're all baffled." She looked back up and met his gaze. "But it has to mean something, right? It's not just there for no reason..." He shrugged.  
"I'll let you know if I find anything," he promised with a smile. "But right now, we should eat. I don't want to leave Daire alone for too long." Her smile returned and she nodded, and they both started to eat.


	5. Chapter V: Familiarity

**Author's Note: **Nothing like a good dose of Lucit in the morning! Uh, yeah, nothing too explicit.

Also, is it wrong to make fun of the Home Shopping Network?

* * *

The sun had long since set by the time Kova unlocked his front door and made his way inside his home, shutting it behind him with a heavy sigh as a headache pounded around his temples. He slid his jacket off and tossed it over the back of a chair, then unbuckled the belts around his waist and fell back on the couch with a flop. He groaned softly as he kicked off his shoes and covered his face with his hands, desperate to block out the world around him for even a moment. His thoughts refused to cooperate, unfortunately, as he went over the day's events in his head.

He was nowhere closer to getting Ater to tell him anything, and he feared what methods he'd have to resort to in order to gain any information. He worried about both his own health and Daire's, knowing they had plenty more long days ahead of them until they caught up with whatever boss was pulling the strings of crime behind the scenes. He wondered if he should have told Marc he couldn't be the best man at the wedding, knowing he had just dropped a rather large set of responsibility on top of all the rest of his stress that he had on his plate. And he couldn't help but ponder his lunch with Marina, whether he really had seen the mark in her eye before or if he was just going crazy. Throughout the rest of the day, he hadn't been able to shake thinking about it. Something in his brain was trying to tell him something, but the rest of his thoughts were too cluttered to let it through.

He rolled onto his side and grabbed the remote, absentmindedly channel surfing as he tried to let his mind blank for a while. Whatever relief Marina's massage had brought him earlier, it was gone now. With one arm hanging off the couch, he continued flipping through channels in hopes that something mindless was on, something to help him escape the stress of his life.  
_"...crafted from 100 percent pure silver and, no way, are these real sapphires?"_

"_That's right, Lorie, they are. This bracelet is one in a limited set, so we can only allow one per caller. And if you call now..." _

"Bracelet..." Kova echoed, perplexed that any home shopping channel could catch his attention like this had. He sat up, no longer paying attention to the television and instead sorting through whatever thoughts were trying to unearth themselves in his head. Almost at once, it hit him, and he snapped his fingers. "A bracelet!" He scrambled off the couch and into the bedroom, opening a drawer in his dresser and digging through it until he found what he was searching for.  
He pulled it out carefully and sat down on his bed as he turned it over in his hands. It was a rather simple creation at first glance, crafted from a material similar to silver with a small leather clasp on one side, fitting perfectly to his wrist whenever curiosity got the best of him and he put it on. He stared at it now, running his thumb over the symbol carved into it on one side- a teardrop-like shape framed in a pointed semicircle.  
It was the same shape marking Marina's eye.  
"Okay..." he breathed. This was no coincidence. While he had no reason he could think of pertaining to why he had this bracelet in the first place, the symbol had to have some sort of meaning, and whatever meaning it was had something to do with her. A rush of energy shot through his body as he scrambled back out to pull his shoes and jacket back on, and he tucked the bracelet into his pocket as he bolted out the door.

A short time later, he pulled into the parking lot of an apartment complex and hurried though a stairwell, and he knocked on the door he arrived at before glancing at his watch and hoping it wasn't too late. He bit his lip and rocked back and forth on his heels as he waited, and the door opened a short time later.  
"Kova?" Marina wondered as she opened it wider. She was wearing a pale blue fleece robe tied closed and soft purple pajamas with no shoes or socks, and she held a steaming mug in one hand. Her eyes betrayed her concern as he smiled sheepishly. "It's awfully late. What are you doing here?"  
"I'm sorry I showed up without warning, but it's kind of important," he said. "Sorry, it can wait if you were just off to bed."  
"No, no, it's okay," she said and stepped aside. "Do you want to come in?"  
"Thank you." He dipped his head and went inside, pulling off his jacket as she closed the door.  
"Um... Make yourself at home," she said, gesturing to a sofa against one wall. "I have some extra water... Would you like some tea?"

"That would be wonderful," he replied as he sat down. "Thank you." He waited in awkward silence until she came over with another cup and set a bowl of sugar down on the coffee table.  
"So, what can I do for you?" she asked once she had sat down next to him. He frowned and met her gaze, hesitantly reaching one hand up to brush her bangs away from her left eye. Though he could see the confusion on her face, she didn't fight back, and looking at the mark there only confirmed his suspicions.  
"Don't ask me where I got this, because I don't know," he said as he pulled the bracelet from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. "But I've had it for as long as I can remember." She stared at it and took it from him, turning it to inspect its every detail before she stopped and gazed at the symbol it featured. "I don't know what that mark in your eye means, Mare, but it has to be important." He fell silent for a moment. "I just wish I had more of an answer for you."  
"Kova..." she mumbled as she continued to gaze at the bracelet. "You... This really is yours?"  
"Yeah," he nodded. "Like I said, I don't know where it came from or why I have it, but it's mine." She looked up at him briefly before standing up and setting the bracelet on the table.

"I'll be right back," she said before she disappeared into the other room. A few moments later, she returned and took a deep breath before handing something to him, and his mind about blanked as he observed it. It was a bracelet nearly identical to the one he'd brought- same color, same style, same material. But this one had a different symbol marking it, one made of a ring with several curving lines underneath it.

"I feel like I've seen this mark somewhere before," he remarked as he traced his finger along it. "I don't know where or what it means, but..." He pulled back as his head suddenly fogged, and he looked from it to the one he'd brought along. "It's like they're a matching pair... But more than that. I think they mean something."  
"I think you're right," Marina agreed. "But... what? And why do we have them?"  
"Well, that..." He looked up to meet her gaze with a flushed face. "I think it's got something to do with us... Like we should be..." He looked down again and pressed his fingers against one side of his head. "S-Sorry... My head just feels a little weird..."  
"Yours too?" she asked softly, and he looked back up to her. Her eyes were full of wonder, though she looked a bit shy and nervous too. "Do you... Do you think there's something about us?" He smiled weakly and touched her cheek, gently brushing his fingers along the side of her face.  
"Maybe..." he mumbled, and said nothing else as he hesitantly pulled her closer. After a moment, she touched her lips softly to his without so much as a sound before pulling back and meeting his eyes shyly. Without so much of a thought, he placed a gentle kiss to hers, and she returned it as she placed her hands to his sides before wrapping them slightly around his back.  
"Something's happening here," he said nearly inaudibly once she had pulled back to meet his eyes again, and he rested his hands on her waist.

"I... I think you're right," she agreed in a soft voice before she kissed him again. The fog in his mind seemed to take shape into something else as she scooted closer to him and he gripped her robe as he tried to make sense of it. Despite everything, he couldn't help but feel like something about this was just... right. There was something in his memory trying desperately to come to light, but it didn't seem to have the strength to.

He let it go and tilted his head as she wrapped her arms tighter around his back and he did the same, holding her against him. She met his gaze with warmth and affection in her eyes, along with something that his fogged memory identified- or so he could guess- as desire. Something in that fog began taking over his body, and he pressed his lips to her neck, and her fingers entwined themselves in his hair as he took in her soft scent.

"Pit..."

Hearing her breathe that name wiped his mind clean, and his eyes flew wide open as he held her. His breath faltered as the word echoed in his head, desperately trying to clear away the fog, until he finally gave into one thing that managed to come to light- even if only briefly.  
"Lucina," he said softly, and her arms tightened around his back for a moment before she returned her lips to his and started fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. He returned her kiss and looked into her eyes shyly, shivering at the touch of her fingers against his bare chest. She swallowed and stood, taking his hands in hers and pulling him up off the sofa.  
"Come with me," she said in a voice just above a whisper, and he offered no resistance as she led him away.


	6. Chapter VI: Pit

**Author's Note: **Please forgive my sporadic uploading schedule. I post things when they're finished, and this story had come pretty fluidly to me. At least you don't have to wait! Unlike everything else giving me writers' block.

Uh, yeah. Enjoy.

* * *

"_I can't believe I'm actually flying!"_

Those words rang out in a voice he didn't recognize as he stood on what appeared to be the edge of a cliff at first, but on further inspection took the shape of a floating islet in the sky. His feet carried him forth and launched themselves away from the ground, but he did not fall. Instead, he rose, and the wind whipped around him as it brought him a sense of pure joy he couldn't ever recall feeling before. The sun was warm on his skin and the wispy clouds he passed through tickled his face with moisture. He couldn't see the ground below the clouds, but he felt no fear. The sky was his home.  
Kova blinked open his eyes and stretched his arms out before leaning his head back and staring at the ceiling. Confusion made itself known in his head as his thoughts of the dream faded to be replaced with wonder regarding the soft, warm something against him, and he looked down to find Marina lying next to him, her arm around his waist and her head against his chest. Embarrassment flooded over him as he recalled the previous night, not to mention neither of them had bothered to dress themselves again before falling asleep.

Despite that, he couldn't help but smile as he rested his arms gently around her as she continued to sleep soundly. Even after a decent night's sleep, something in his head still felt foggy. And yet holding her in his arms simply made him feel happy, regardless of their rather spur of the moment night together. The feeling he had that this, that they, were simply meant to be together for whatever reason refused to leave, but he could find no problem with it.

His smile faded as he thought about everything, from when he had first arrived to his dream. While he didn't doubt other people dreamed of flying, something about his had seemed much too real to be a figment of his imagination- more akin to a memory than a dream. But he couldn't fly any more than any other person, could he? Thinking about it brought up the name Marina had said so softly: Pit. Strangely, the name felt more familiar to him than his own, almost as if it was wrong that everyone- including himself- called him Kova.

He sighed quietly and shut his eyes again, trying to dismiss the thoughts, and glanced at the clock on Marina's nightstand. And as he observed it, he frowned.

"Oh, crud!" he blurted rather loudly, rousing Marina as he could see protest on her face before she adjusted and opened her eyes, and he gave her a moment to gain back conscious thought as she gazed at him. "Uh, good morning," he added, and she smiled as she rested her head back on his chest.

"Good morning, Kova," she said happily, and it agonized him that he had to cut their time short.

"Uh, Marina," he smiled sheepishly. "I'm supposed to be at the station in less than fifteen minutes and Daire will kill me if I'm late." She looked up to meet his eyes and wrapped her arms tighter around him.

"Oh, you can't play hooky for one morning?" she asked, though her smile told him she was only teasing- or, at least, for the most part."

"'Fraid not," he sighed. "Though trust me, I wish I could." He kissed the top of her head and started to sit up, and she chuckled softly as she kissed his cheek.

"I believe you," she replied with a warm smile. "And... Kova?"

"Yeah?" he said, glancing over his shoulder as he pulled his pants on. She blushed and leaned over to kiss his shoulder gently.

"Thank you." He turned his head thoughtfully while he stood and started buttoning his shirt. "For last night..." she smiled shyly. "You certainly know how to please a woman." He felt his face heat and averted his gaze.

"D-Do I?" he stammered as he looked back to her. "Not really... I mean..." He paused. "I've never been with a woman. Not even a real relationship, let alone... yeah."

"I never would have guessed," she remarked. "Well, if we're being honest, I've never been with anyone either." He smiled and fastened his watch around his wrist, then knelt down and kissed her briefly.

"Go figure," he shrugged. "Well... What do you make of us?" He sat down again and opened his arms, and she hugged him. "I mean, Marina, I feel like I'm meant to be with you. I hope that's not weird."  
"Not at all," she mumbled. "This isn't exactly how I ever expected us to start a relationship, but I'll take it." He snorted and started laughing, holding her tighter.

"Yeah, me too," he said once he'd recovered his voice. "I'll do everything I can to assure you're happy, Mare. I promise." She smiled.

"I believe you," she replied. "But, for now, you'd better get moving before your deputy chews you out."  
"Right," he snickered. "Though I left my stuff at home, so I guess I'll have to stop there anyway." He kissed her forehead and stood up. "Feel free to drop by the station any time," he added. "And I swear I'll take you to dinner soon."

"I look forward to it," she agreed. "Good luck, Kova."

"Thanks," he said with a smile as he started for the door. "I'll see you soon." With that, he left and made his way outside, and he jumped into his car and hurried home to gather up his things. On his way to the station, however, his earlier thoughts returned.

"Pit..." he muttered. "Why does that sound so familiar?" It seemed the fog in his head refused to dissipate, and he frowned as he thought over everything. The dream had seemed so real, and he couldn't help but feel like he'd heard the voice in it before.

"_I can't believe I'm actually flying!"_ he recalled, and he smirked.

"Neither can I," he sighed, but decided to let it go as he pulled into the station and hurried inside, making his way down the halls until he came to the room he and Daire had set up shop. The deputy looked up and let out a sigh of relief as he approached his chief.

"THERE you are!" he said shortly. "I never thought I'd see the day that the great Chief Kova was late. What kept you?"

"I overslept," Kova replied as he pulled off his jacket and hung it on the back of his chair. Daire stared at him and crossed his arms.

"You're a terrible liar," he remarked and grinned. "Seriously, why are you late?"

"I told you, I overslept!" the chief all but snapped. "Come on. We've got a lot to do here. Have you found anything new?"  
"Uh, no," Daire sighed. "Unless Ater wants to start squawking, we've hit a dead end and you might as well declare this case cold. We've swept records, surveillance, talked to people, even caught one of their guys, and we've got nothing." Kova looked down at the papers and shook his head.

"I guess if it's not there, it's not there," he shrugged. "We don't have the manpower to just go out searching every building in the business district. And there are bound to be other things that'll come up." He sat down and leaned his head back. "I hate to say it, but we may have better luck if we back off for now. They're bound to show up eventually, especially Anesi. She doesn't seem like one to stay quiet for long."

"Sounds good to me," Daire said with a nod. "It won't do us any good if we run ourselves ragged looking for evidence that doesn't exist so we're exhausted by the time something actually does happen. Want me to arrange a press conference?"

"Sure," Kova agreed. "Thanks."  
"No problem, Chief."

A few hours later as the chief and deputy continued sorting through the papers they'd buried themselves in for the past week, Kova looked up at the sound of footsteps and found a teenage girl approaching. He sighed quietly and headed over to greet her.

"Welcome back, Aegle," he said with a somewhat forced smile, and she dipped her head as she took his offered hand. "I'm going to assume you're here about your father."

"I am," she agreed. "May I speak with you, Chief?" He looked over his shoulder and Daire shrugged, and he turned back to the visitor.

"Certainly," he nodded. "Come with me?" She followed him to a small office down the hall, and he sat down at the desk while she took the chair in front of it. He took a deep breath. "I'll be honest, Aegle. I've got nothing. Though..." He opened a drawer and pulled out a folder, leafing through it until he found Ater's photos. He pulled out the criminal's mug shot and slid it across the desk. "Does this man look familiar to you?"  
"Yes," she smiled. "That's my uncle." He frowned.

"He claims he doesn't have any family," he informed her, and she met his gaze steadily.

"He just doesn't remember me," she replied. "Or my father. Are you sure you have nothing on him?"

"I'm sorry, Aegle, but yes. We have no leads, especially if Ater won't cooperate with us."

"Kuro," she said, and he stared at her.

"Pardon?"  
"His name isn't Ater. It's Kuro." She smiled knowingly. "And my father's name is Pit."

"_Pit." _

"Pit..." he repeated as the fog in his head began to react, trying desperately to clear away.

"Chief Kova, can you honestly look at the man you call Ater and not see the resemblance you share with him? He's my uncle. And you're my father." He stared at her, his head pounding.

"Wh..." He shook his head. "Aegle, do I look old enough to have a teenage daughter like you? I can't be your father."

"You're older than you look," she replied simply. "Much older." He let out a slow breath and placed his face in his hands as he braced his elbows on the desk. "You're not human, Chief. Your name is Pit. You're the god of Light and ruler of Skyworld." His fingers dug into his hair as the fog in his head reacted to her words.  
"That's not... I'm not..." he stuttered as his muscles tensed. "I can't be..."

"I don't know what happened to cause all of this," Aegle went on in a soft voice. "But you are, Father. You're the god of Light. You've dedicated your life to protecting the Celestial Balance. You were the successor to Lady Palutena. And the woman you call Marina? Her real name is Lucina and she's my mother."

"Lu...cina..." he mumbled as the previous night again came rushing back to him. That was the name that had broken through the fog when she had said the name "Pit."

"If you don't believe me, look at this." He peeked out from behind his hands to find her pulling up her sleeve, and marking her wrist was the same symbol in Marina's eye and on the bracelet. "This is the Brand of the Exalt," she said. "It's a symbol of Ylissean royalty and the blood of Naga. Lucina was Ylisse's princess before she joined you in Skyworld."

"Skyworld, Lucina... I..." He gripped his head tight as it throbbed until he couldn't bear it any longer.

"You're the god of Light, Pit!" Aegle said firmly. "And you're my father!" He squinted his eyes shut as his heart thudded in his chest, and he cried out wordlessly. His arms gave out and his head fell to the desk as it throbbed with pain and his body trembled. The fog within it evaporated all at once, leaving it blank and empty and giving him absolutely no idea as to whom he really was.

Then, slowly, it came back to him. His time as Palutena's angel, his battles both against and alongside Kuro, the moment he became the god of Light, the fight against Nemo, the battle against Mastema that had nearly taken his life, and his efforts to help save the humans from Grima...

It was all true.

He lifted his head slowly, blinking in an attempt to clear his blurred vision, and Aegle watched him with concern in her eyes as her hands hovered just above his arms. It took him some time to find his voice again as he tried to make sense of what had just been unearthed within his memory.

"A-Aegle..." he said weakly, and she smiled as tears welled up in her eyes. Then, with a sudden rush of energy, he jumped up and pulled her tight into his arms as she buried her face in his shoulder and he stroked her hair gently.

"Father..." she sobbed, holding him tightly. He rested his cheek against the top of her head.

"My dearest daughter," he said softly. "It's okay... I'm here. I'm back." Her arms tightened over her back as she continued to cry.

"I-I missed you," she blubbered. "I was afraid you wouldn't wake up..."

"It's alright, my dear," he cooed. "But... Do you know what happened to me?" She pulled back, her eyes stained red and her lip trembling. She shook her head.

"All I know is that Remiel came to me after the last time I saw you and said something bad was coming. He cast some shield or other to protect us- sort of."

"Sort of?" he asked. "Wait, Rem is here?"  
"He's looking for Master Nemo and Lady Levica," she explained. "But yeah. Neither of us have any of the power we used to, and he thinks it's because you and Master Nemo lost yours." He frowned, but nodded.

"I see..." His smile returned as he took her hand in his. "Thank you, Aegle. Thank you for reminding me who I really am." She smiled and made her way around the desk to hug him again.

"I couldn't let you live a lie," she mumbled. "I love you, Father..."

"And I love you. Just as I... love... your mother..." He blinked. "Wait, wait, Marina is Lucina! That's it! That's why I felt so drawn to her!" Aegle looked up to meet his eyes, tilting her head in wonder. "That's why I felt like I'm meant to be with her..."

"Wait, what?" his daughter asked, and he stared at her.

"Uh... That's not something I should be discussing with my child." He headed for the door and opened it.

"Wait, wait, _what?_" she demanded, and he turned around and grinned at her.

"Forget it! Nothing you need to know about."  
"Father!" At that, he started laughing, and she joined him a moment later. "Uh... where are you going, anyway?" she asked once she had recovered.

"To wake up my brother," he replied with a smile, then left the room and headed down the hall toward the cells.


	7. Chapter VII: Reunion

There was a spring in Pit's step as he walked through the station, pondering everything that had come to light within his mind. He worked to piece together who was whom in Iliad, who he could try to wake up and who might take a little more work. First and foremost, there was Ater, whom Pit had no doubt in his mind was really Kuro. He frowned, however, as he pondered how he would shake his brother out of the lie, and even then, what next? He was still a prisoner charged with no small amount of crimes. It was possible Pit would be able to try to push back a trial, but it would help if he had others going along with that plan. But the only way he could think of to do that was to get Daire and Marc on his side, and that would require bringing Ephraim and Nemo back.

He stopped in the lounge and grabbed a roll of paper towels from off the counter, then opened a drawer and retrieved a lighter from within as he tried to swallow his fears.

"I'm insane," he muttered as he started toward the cells in the back of the station. If his plan didn't work, it could mean his own death and letting a criminal escape with a vengeance, and even the possibility of crippling the Iliad police force. Then again, losing him and Daire would cripple it anyway, seeing as the Centurions-turned-officers kept their lazy, weak natures even in this strange world.

He sighed and pushed back the thoughts as he entered the cell room, and he set his supplies down on the table inside. Ater looked up from his bench curiously, and he looked utterly and completely bored.

"Oh, good, company!" he said somewhere between seriously and sarcastically, and Pit suppressed a smile. "Seriously, can I get a magazine or something? The paper? A deck of cards? A Rubik's cube?" Pit shrugged as he pulled a ring of keys from his pocket and turned to the criminal. "I'm getting kind of tired of playing with lint."

"Well, maybe we can talk," Pit replied as he went over to the door and locked it via one of his keys, then he turned back to the occupied cell.

"Talk," Ater snorted and sighed. "I'm still not gonna tell you anything, Kova. So you might-"

"Pit," he interrupted, and Ater turned his head back to the chief.

"What pit?" he wondered, cocking one eyebrow.

"No, I mean my name is Pit. Not Kova." He shook his head and the chair in the room over to the cell, then sat down and braced his arms against his legs as he leaned forward. Ater stared at him.

"Pit," he repeated, and Pit nodded. Ater snorted and turned away as he somewhat successfully tried not to laugh. "That's an unfortunate name." Pit shook his head and smirked.

"Not as bad as Pittoo," he replied, and Ater stopped short before turning back to stare at him, his red eyes blank.

"Pittoo," he echoed. "God, that's stupid." He scratched the back of his head. "I mean, just saying it annoys me. Do you seriously know someone named that?"

"It was more of a nickname," Pit went on. "Yours." Ater blinked.

"You're saying some jerk gave me the nickname 'Pittoo.'" He shook his head. "No idea what you're talking about, Chief."

"I wouldn't call Lady Palutena a jerk," Pit replied. "And besides. She is the one who gave you your real name." Ater sighed heavily and leaned his head back.

"And what, pray tell, is that?" he asked, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Kuro," Pit said, and Ater's eyes lost focus for several heartbeats.

"...Kuro," he mumbled, and Pit nodded. "That... Why does that sound familiar?"  
"Because it's your name," the blue-eyed man explained, gripping his hands together as he hoped desperately that this would work. "Everything you know is a lie. Anesi? There's a reason you hate her so much and she hates you. But then again, I would probably hate you too if you stole my power and betrayed me before I even had a chance to give you an order." Ater shut his eyes and took a deep breath, but said nothing. "More importantly, you're my brother." At that, Ater's eyes snapped open and he stared at Pit like he had two heads.

"I don't have any family," he snapped.

"Look at me!" Pit said firmly as he got to his feet. "You can't tell me you don't see a strong resemblance between us. You're a part of me, Kuro. We're connected- no you, no me."

"Two sides of the same coin..." Ater murmured, then looked up in confusion. "Wait... What?"

"See?" Pit smiled. "Your memory is there. It's just... Foggy, right?" Ater nodded slowly. "I was like that too before I remembered who I am. You know me better than anyone, Kuro. And I can say the same about you. I know you're terrified of losing the people you care about because you don't want to be left alone. I know you try to avoid looking in mirrors because you're not sure what'll be looking back. I know you still worry about what the Chaos Kin would have done to you if I hadn't saved you." As he spoke, Ater curled into a slight ball and gripped his head tightly, grunting softly.

"Th-that doesn't make sense..." he mumbled. "You couldn't know that..." He groaned. "But... Why does that all sound so familiar?!"

"Because it's true!" Pit insisted. "And I'll prove it to you." He went over to the table and threw out the roll of paper towels, effectively sending it across the room before he piled it back up loosely in a heap. He turned back and approached the cell as Ater stared at him.

"What are paper towels gonna do?" he inquired weakly, and Pit pulled forth his ring of keys and unlocked the cell, then pulled it open as the occupant watched him with guarded curiosity.

"It's going to help me prove that you know me better than anyone," he replied. "Even if you don't think you do and you couldn't possibly in this world." Despite the open cell, Ater didn't budge, and Pit returned to the table and picked up the lighter. Ater's eyes widened as he flicked it on, igniting a small flame, and set it to the heap of paper towels. He swallowed again as he tried to contain his fear and stepped toward it as the heap quickly caught the flames, spreading them into a bright and hot fire. And when he took another hesitant and forced step toward it, Ater cried out and, despite the cast on his leg, launched himself forward and tackled the chief away.

"Damn it, Pit!" he swore as his eyes watered slightly. "Are you out of your mind? What do you think you're doing?!" Despite the furious and scared red eyes that stared at him, Pit smiled as he rested his head back.

"Yeah, you know my greatest fear is fire," he said softly, and his assailant blinked. He backed off and sat down on the floor as Pit got back up, covering his nose and mouth as he unlocked the door and retrieved a fire extinguisher just outside it. He put out the flames and flipped a switch on the wall that turned on a fan overhead that pulled the smoke out of the room. Once it was clear, he turned back to his companion with a soft smile on his face.

"I... Pit..." he mumbled as he got to his feet and approached the chief slowly. He held his arm up, and Pit smiled as he braced his forearm against it and the two grasped each others' hands.

"You back, Kuro?" he asked, and Kuro nodded as a smile spread on his face.

"Yeah," he agreed weakly. "I'm back." With that, Pit said his brother's again and pulled him into a tight hug, and Kuro huffed as he returned the embrace briefly before shoving Pit back. "Okay," he grinned. "Don't suffocate me. Oh," his brow furrowed, though his grin remained. "If you ever call me Pittoo again, I'll break your nose."

"Noted," Pit laughed.

"And don't do something that stupid again," Kuro went on, gesturing to the pile of half-burned paper towels as his smile faded. "Just... I get what you were trying to do, but... I don't want to see you get hurt on my account again." Pit smiled and rested his hand on his twin's shoulder.

"No promises," he shook his head. "But you should probably sit down. How's your leg?"

"Getting better," Kuro sighed as he half walked, half limped over to the chair outside his cell. "Though I swear Anesi-" He stopped short and groaned loudly. "Damn you, Pandora." He looked up to his brother with a look that was none too pleased. "This has got to stop. One of these days, I've got to end her once and for all."

"You may get the chance to by the time we sort this out," Pit agreed. "Speaking of which... Got anything you want to tell me about her and your boss?" A smirk formed on Kuro's face.

"I don't know the boss," he admitted. "But Pandora does. No question about it. You find her, and you'll find him eventually." He frowned. "I don't even know the guy's name. But from what I've gathered, he hates you and knew he needed to keep us apart." He sighed and shook his head. "I'd imagine he wasn't happy with her leaving me in the dust for you to catch while she escaped."

"So her hatred for you beat out her orders," Pit surmised, and Kuro nodded.

"He's after you, Pit. Everything we've done- the robberies, the exchanges, that girl I-" He stopped short and looked down in guilt. "That girl I stabbed that one night... She died, didn't she?" Pit let out a soft breath and nodded.

"Don't worry about it," he said quickly as Kuro placed his face in his hands and trembled slightly. "We'll find a way to fix everything." He nudged his brother and smiled weakly once he looked up. "You and I can do anything together, remember?" Kuro sighed and shook his head.

"I hope you're right," he replied. "But... Yeah. Everything we've done is to get your attention. The boss knows you're a peacekeeper in every reality and you'd come out yourself to stop us. And the more we did, the more desperate you'd be about catching him." He paused. "That last time, when you caught me... I think she was supposed to take Daire out of the picture." He blinked. "Wait. Daire is Ephraim, isn't he?"

"I'm pretty sure he is," Pit agreed, and Kuro shuddered. "So... She was supposed to shoot him instead of you?"

"Something like that," the red-eyed youth agreed and ran a hand through his hair, brushing his bangs back. "Whoever the boss is... He means business. I don't know if he knows who you really are or what, but..."

"But he's a threat either way," Pit finished and crossed his arms. "Thank you, Kuro. At least I know you're not hiding anything from me anymore. Anything else?"

"Just that I'm pretty sure the boss NEVER goes out himself," Kuro replied. "You're gonna have to catch Pandora if you want to find him. That, or quite literally sweep every nook and cranny of Iliad."

"And I don't have time for that," Pit sighed. "Pandora it is. She'll come out eventually." He frowned. "In the mean time... I'm gonna have to keep you in here, Kuro. I'm sorry. But I can't just let you go free- that'd jeopardize my position as chief and Ephraim and Nemo would never go along with it." Kuro frowned and shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess so," he muttered. "Wouldn't want to get Nemo mad even if he doesn't know who I am. I wouldn't make it all that far anyway," he added as he lifted up his injured leg. "But PLEASE tell me you'll let me out of here as soon as you get things sorted out. I wasn't kidding when I said I'm bored to tears." Pit chuckled and headed over to stand in front of the cell.

"I'll bring you something to do," he replied with a smile. "But, for now, in you go. I'll come visit again when I get a chance. Kuro nodded and stood up, then trudged back to the bench in his cell and sat down again.

"Okay," he nodded. "Hey, one more thing."

"Yeah?"  
"Is anyone else out there?" he asked. "I mean, like people who actually know who they are like us." Pit frowned for a moment before a smile crept back to his face.

"Aegle was the one who woke me up," he replied. "So she's out there." A smile of relief formed on Kuro's face, and he nodded. "Also, apparently Rem is out somewhere too. But that's it."

"It's a start," he shrugged. "Have you found Lucina?" Pit smiled.

"Yeah," he said softly. "I have."


End file.
